Out of the Twelve (Advent 15, 2022)

The patriarch Jacob had twelve sons.

Exodus 1:1 “These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.”

But let’s not forget Joseph who had been sold into slavery before redemption and elevation to the highest office in Egypt apart from Pharaoh.

“5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. (Exodus 1:5)

Out of the twelve, two stand out. Joseph and Judah.
But only one makes it into Jesus’ lineage:
the one who sold his brother to slave-traders.

“Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed” (Genesis 37:26-27).

How is that fair?

Questions for further thought:

Only one could be in the lineage of Christ as a direct line carrying the torch of faith and the patriarchy’s descendants. Yeah, but why Judah, the first wife Leah’s fourth son (out of six), not Joseph (the firstborn of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel)?

The selling into slavery was bad, but it had a precedent. In what way did Adam sell all his descendants into slavery…to sin and mortality?

In what way does Joseph become the pattern of salvation from slavery by God’s intervention? How does being outside the lineage of Christ, but inside the way of faith, display something about the ways of God? “God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)

In Stephen’s speech from Acts 7 we see Joseph’s role in getting God’s people to Egypt,

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.” (Acts 7:9-15)

How does Joseph’s role make it plain that one doesn’t need to be in Christ’s lineage to be included by faith?

Think also about this: Jesus had no biological offspring. Why is that a really good thing for cementing inclusion by faith, not biology?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the author of all wisdom, and we praise You for the ways that we could never predict about how You work. Thank You that we don’t need to be of a special line or a special people to find favor with You. We can be recipients of faith simply because You so graciously give. Help us to appreciate all that You have done for us as we magnify Your Name. Amen.

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Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.